Tides Of Protomis LXXXVII
Corde Vs Volker
Since Arctaius had taken note of the scouting party, his awareness of their presence only increased. He saw them regardless of whether they were in their uniforms, hidden on the rooftops, or in civilian clothes, with robes underneath a few layers. Though he took note of the varied expressions of the rest of those there, he opted to ignore it, his eyes darting around at his observers… Aside from one. A man with an orange head of hair observed the fourth tide from one of the taller buildings. His expression was one of contempt. Here he was, standing up here, and he wasn’t even noticed? What a joke...
“He seems unaware of my presence… This is all the infamous Agium is? Though, that only works to my advantage. I’ll handle this quickly and go on to more important targets.”
Volker began to hop between the roofs. All the while, Arctaius continued his walk through the city. Though the two did not reveal their knowledge of each other, time and time again, they kept placing their attention on one another. Trying to gain whatever information they could. Even so, the expression of both the two remained the same. Both were less than willing to let their opponent know they were aware of them. Though briefly, Volker moved his attention away from Corde, taking note of the cluster of ruined buildings in front of him… It looked like the Yamato never did go back into that area, as his data told him. So he wouldn’t be causing collateral damage like the corners did. Within 10 or so minutes, Volker, Arctaius, and all those he traveled with arrived in the former exclusion zone. Now, within a square of deprecated skyscrapers, Arctaius stopped, and Volker stood overhead on one of their roofs. He opens his left hand, revealing his palm. And soon, appearing within it was a Double-Bladed weapon. Both of the blades are reminiscent of a shortsword. His hand gripped the hilt in the center of the two edges, where they were embedded. The Slayer bent his knees as he tightened his grip. An orange glow began surrounding him soon after.
“Now then… Astaroth!”
The blades began to warp as the glow around him began to grow to encompass them, and soon, they extended. The total length of the weapon was around the same height as the Slayer’s body. He raised the blade above his body and began a dash off the roof. Pulled his weapon back behind his shoulder. His eyes focused upon Arctaius as he prepared to fling it at the off-gaurd opponent, Or, seemingly off-guard.
Arctaius’ gaze shot toward Volker as he turned his head. It was then that the man took note of the more likely fact. He was simply pretending. This took Volker by surprise as his eyes widened, but he regained his composure soon after, beginning to prepare himself. His arm began to extend as he resumed his planned launch… At least, until Arctaius began to blur across view, appearing in front of him, launching a fist at him. Volker took note of his body language before his fist shot out. As such, he weaved out of the way. Changing the position of his blade and swinging the end at the man’s chest. However, Arctaius clasped his palms around the weapon, holding it in place.
“Did you think you could tail me and I wouldn’t notice? You fools must think lowly of us.”
Volker frowned at this development as he began to push forward, grunting with effort, not stopping his attempt to bludgeon his opponent. However, as Arctaius’ muscles tightened, he soon found himself thrown back, pushed away with the man’s pure strength. Then, quickly shooting across the zone. However, this did not continue for long as he stopped himself, his feet landing upon the wall of a ruined building. He kept his attention on his opponent all the while.
“It looks like you’re going to be a troublesome one… No matter- I’ll eliminate you regardless!!”
As he yelled across the city, Arctaius responded in turn, yelling back in return.
“As if!”
Volker dashed forward, his blade remaining in his hand. Arctaius flew forward to meet his charge until the two reached each other’s melee range. Then, a storm of swipes and stabs alike began to rush toward Arctaius, many of which were only narrowly avoided. Something the tide wasn’t happy about.
“He’s a cut above those four...This could end up being an issue.”
Volker retreated from his range, changing the position of his blade and sending it toward his left shoulder. Arctaius flew to the right, weaving past his strike. Volker Astaroth, shoving the other end toward his right. A direct hit, the blade went right through.
“Tch.”
However, Arctaius looked undisturbed by this fact, twitching his muscle and forcing the blade out. Volker prepared to launch another thrust, but his opponent did not let him get the chance. Instead, Arctaius’ fist crashed into Volker’s cheek with a left hook. His opponent going wide-eyed as a result before he was sent cascading into the ground, ripping it apart as he flew across it, all the while knocking down any buildings he came in contact with, sending dust and debris cascading into the sky.
Even so, Arctaius was nowhere near finished. A wild yellow glow surrounded his fist as the burning heat it released made the air around him weave. Then, the proto-human began a charge, something Volker took notice of from the rubble of a building he crashed into. Needless to say, he was not willing to get hit by an attack like that. After this, his irises seemed to glow, with the same color as the light around him, even moreso as he invoked one word.
“Switch!!”
As he spoke, the space around Arctaius began to wave, warp, in a way much different from simple heat. After all, he was knowledgeable about that subject. This, however, eluded him. And it continued, too, as he seemingly appeared in the same place his opponent was in earlier. Arctaius’ eyes widened in surprise.
“What?! How did he-”
However, his thought remained unfinished as Volker began his descent upon the man with a clear view of his back. The resulting boom from the man’s increased speed alerted him, and he soon turned on his heel as he got within his range and soon caught the blade within his hands once again, stopping his assault right there… Now, this was starting to get annoying. He’d made zero progress here, on top of the fact that his attempt at an ambush didn’t work.
“No matter...I still have the power to defeat him. The fact that he has to defend tells me that much.”
A golden glow soon swirled around Arctaius’ body, growing to encompass it as a whole, and soon, the light around Volker began to grow as well. The two continued to push out their respective power, and the force that resulted, collapsing the ground under them, a rapidly expanding crater came soon after. Though it was shallow, it was extensive. Eventually, the two broke their deadlock and began to launch a flurry of blade strikes and fists alike at their opponent. The force of their respective attacks further damaged what remained around them. Whether it be destroyed by the impact of an air jet or cut by the razor wind that came from the Slayer’s swipes. Either way, it was clear that their effort was growing. This was something that did not go unnoticed. In the Hashimoto-Kai HQ, Jirou and Chairman Hashimoto sat in his office as the two went about their day and continued a somewhat routine activity, a game of chess. As one would expect, even as they spoke, strategies and predictions ran through their heads, with both planning to outmaneuver their opponent at any time.
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“So, Holy order, huh… You know anything about them?” The chairman questioned.
Ren pushed a black rook forward as he put his gaze on his son.
“Not much. All we know is they're fighting “Demons”, and they’re gunning for Miyamoto, probably us now too.”
Jirou pushed his pawn forward. His father leaned back into his chair, pushing his white locks away from his eyes.
“Sounds like they’ll be an issue. Guys who hide around like that never are good news, are they.”
Jirou nodded.
“Ye-”
However, he soon stopped as he felt a feeling rush down his spine, or, more specifically, the just barely visible lump near the top between his shoulders. This protomis he detected was familiar to both of them. But, what they took note of, is how much it seemed to expand.
“It looks like Corde is fighting… It may be a new opponent… Is it a demon or the holy order?”
Ren stood up.
“Could be either one. You need me to help?”
JIrou stood as well.
“Nah, I got this, pops…”
Jirou began a dash toward the room’s window, opened it, and jumped out, shooting across the sky soon after. His father took a seat once again, watching him as he began to leave his sight… It was a good thing he found friends when he did. Most seemed too scared to approach him when he tried to get him enrolled in a school, no doubt due to his own profession. And the boy was always sharp-witted enough to tell when the people he’d sent to befriend him were just that, people sent. He never would’ve guessed that random fight all those years ago would lead to him not only growing this powerful but gaining a dedicated group of allies. Outside of this, he had some orders he needed to hand out.
“If they plan on attacking my son and his friends… Then it would only make sense for me to begin observing them.”
Elsewhere, Alarick stood on the street, silently leaning on a brick wall. At the least, until he felt a familiar power as well.
“Whoever this new one is, It looks like he’s pushing Arctaius…”
Zhao stood on top of one of the Shima Ward’s many buildings, his gaze focused upon the direction his detection pointed him to, South… It was clear what was happening at that time. He began to levitate over the roof.
“I’d best see what’s going on.”
Soon, the proto-humans began their dash toward the former Exclusion zone, ready to go after whatever threat appeared. On the streets below them, a man leaned on a tree, a communicator in hand. He glanced around, looking for prying eyes, before leaning in, and speaking into the device.
“Sir, I’m afraid our plan has failed. The resonance of protomis has attracted the other tides and their allies. Volker will have company soon.”
Hawks’ eyes widened at this statement. The screen soon displayed him standing up, slamming his hand on the desk as he began speaking.
“If that’s the case, then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and follow them!”
Hawks turned his attention from the screen to the other people in his room.
“Begin sending in support!”
The field agent saluted.
“Y- Yes, Sir!!!”
Soon, the communicator went off, the display dissipating as he began a dash to follow them. Across the city, the other members of the order did the very same.
Part B
The deadlock between Volker and Corde continued; regardless of how they tried, they found that they could simply not launch their assaults. Even so, they continued to push, and push, until they both found themselves blown back. They skidded on the ground, ripping it apart under their feet until they came to a stop 30 or so feet away from each other. They both found that their opponents’ wounds were trivial at best, A few minor cuts left on Arctaius’ arms, something that would heal within a minute at the most. As for Volker, naught but a few patches of burned skin.
Even so, the two acknowledged that this would not be a fact for the entire battle. As such, they stayed in their current positions, ready for their opponent to make a strike. They watched for even the slightest movements, observing them, and making their own in turn. However, Volker was the first to make an attack, pointing his blade at Arctaius and beginning a dash forward, an apparent attempt to stab him. Arctaius dashed forward to meet his charge, and soon, they met in the middle. Volker began to thrust his weapon at Arctaius.
He began to dodge around the strikes, and Volker changed his strategy, spinning the blade and using the other end to send a swipe at the side of his torso. He moved out of reach, sending a fist at his opponent’s face in response. But his attack hit the air as he ducked under the punch, spinning his blade and attempting to cut him once again. At the least, until a ray of light flew out of Arctaius’ other palm. He suppressed his pain as he took note of his skin begging to char, as he began to lose his footing, Long enough to swipe at Arctaius, leaving a cut down his chest. It was after this that he was thrown back.
“Taking this lightly won’t end well...”
Just in front of him, Volker tightened his grip on his blade as he squinted his eyes.
“It’s time that I end this… There are other things we have to worry about… I may have to go into holy drive if this keeps up.”
The two prepared to get back into their melee… But were interrupted. Landing around them were Alarick, Lei, And Kazimir. It did not take long for Jirou and Miyamoto to arrive as well, flying overhead and beginning their descent. While Miyamoto landed by Kazimir, the Yakuza landed beside Arctaius. The latter glanced at Jirou as he noticed him cracking his knuckles.
“Oi, Corde, Don’t mind if we join in, do you?”
Arctaius smirked.
“Of course not, nothing personal with this one.”
Alarick soon leaped over to them. He focused his gaze on Volker. As he straightened his fingers, a black glow surrounded his hand.
“Alright, let’s-”
“Not so fast!!”
Their eyes shot toward the source as the unknown voice resounded through the street. 10 nameless slayers stood on the roof of a building. Most notable, however, were the three at the head, Lumeris class slayers. On the left, A tall man with lightly tanned skin, his raven curly hair glistening in the sunlight. His broad shoulders were draped in a white cape, the same as the rest of his uniform. Though, what distinguished him was the golden pin on his chest. Something that identified him as Farid Al-Mutairi.
In the center was a pale-skinned woman just a few inches shorter than him. Her full figure was, for the most part, covered by her clothing. However, with one look at her face, one could tell she was matured, her full red lips the same color as her crimson pupils. Her white hair flowed with the wind. As Farid had, she had the very same golden pin. This woman was known as Ixtli Hawkins. To the right was yet another wearing similar clothes. Though around the same height as Farid, he was much skinnier, lanky, even. His cold brown eyes moved across the area as he eyed his opponents. His braided dark orange hair flowed as well. Finally, Andris Pagonis had arrived on the scene. Eventually, they began their descent, along with the troops, landing just outside of the square.
Farid began to step forward as a deep voice came from his mouth.
“You won’t have any more victories now that we are here… So it’s time that we end this…”
The lanky second man soon did the same. He eyed the white-haired youth, and his target did the same in response.
“I’ll take the Hashimoto.”
Ixtil began walking in tandem with her allies before she spoke as well.
“And I-- the Von Zaisen…”
A red light began to swirl around Kazimir. The very same happened to Miyamoto. As she pulled her gloves onto her hands, Zhao reached for the blade at his side, drawing it from its hilt and pointing in the enemy’s direction… At the least, until the gazes of the slayers and Miyamoto shot to the center of them all. Where a red sphere of light began to form. At first, it was calm until the air around it began to wave, and the light intensified. Then, the sphere seemed to crack open, something that made Alarick twitch.
“Something isn’t right here... I’m sensing a dimensional Fracture.”
Soon, the face of the sphere opened, revealing what was reminiscent of a red void.
“It’s a portal… Just like the ones the reavers arrived through.”
Miyamoto put her hand on her chin.
“But, that demonic energy I’m sensing… There’s so much- I’ve never seen a demon this strong before.”
Kazimir sighed at this development. No matter what the occasion was and who they were fighting, it always seemed like something came in to throw a wrench in their strategies.
“It’s always something, isn’t it…” he mumbled.
Elsewhere, Volker tightened his grip on Astaroth as his body began to glow again.
“It looks like we have an interloper.”
As he spoke, A grotesque, vaguely humanoid mass of tissue exited the portal, with small areas of its skin covered in what looked to be hardened plates of skin growing out of the body underneath. At first, it was inactive until the four eyes on its face shot open, and the light intensified once more... Now, it began to look across the ground at all of those there. This much confused the rather green troops that lay behind the three slayers. After all, they’d never seen a creature that looked so much like them. Though to the four lumeris class slayers, they were more than aware of what threat this thing held, and most of all., what it was…
A higher-class Demon.
To Be Continued